Optical amplifier with closed loop control for scintillation compensation in free space optical communications

ABSTRACT

A method includes receiving a first optical signal at a first communication terminal from a second communication terminal through a free space optical link and determining a receiving power for the optical link based on the first optical signal. The method further includes adjusting an output amplification at the first communication terminal based on the receiving power for the optical link. The output amplification is adjusted to provide a second optical signal with a minimum transmission power for maintaining the optical link. The method transmits the second optical signal from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal through the optical link.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This U.S. patent application is a continuation of, and claims priorityunder 35 U.S.C. § 120 from, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/818,706,filed on Aug. 5, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to adjusting output amplification atcommunication terminals to compensate for air scintillation in freespace optical.

BACKGROUND

Communication terminals, such as aerial communication devices thatoperate at high altitudes, may transmit and receive optical signalsthrough free space optical links. Density of the air, wind speeds, airpressure, and turbulence may cause air scintillation across opticallinks to fluctuate. Air scintillation may perturb one or more of theoptical signals communicated between the communication terminals. Forinstance, air scintillation may cause a received optical power of anoptical signal at a receiving one of the communication terminals todecrease from a transmission power of the optical signal at atransmitting one of the communication terminals. As a result, opticallink loss may occur and data included in the optical signals may not bereceived by the receiving communication terminal or partially receivedby the receiving communication terminal. While selecting a hightransmission power for the optical signals may overcome the implicationswhen air scintillation is high, using high transmission powers for theoptical signals when the air scintillation is low may cause damage tothe receiving optics at the receiving communication terminals and powerconsumption unduly increases at the communication terminals.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the disclosure provides a method for operating an opticalamplifier. The method includes receiving, at a first communicationterminal, a first optical signal from a second communication terminalthrough a free space optical link and determining, by control hardwareof the first communication terminal, a receiving power for the opticallink based on the first optical signal. The method also includesadjusting, by the control hardware, an output amplification at the firstcommunication terminal based on the receiving power for the optical linkand transmitting the second optical signal from the first communicationterminal to the second communication terminal through the optical link.The output amplification is adjusted to power a second optical signalwith a minimum transmission power for maintaining the optical link.

Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of thefollowing optional features. In some implementations, determining thereceiving power for the optical link is based on an optical power of thefirst optical signal when the first communication terminal receives thefirst optical signal. Determining the receiving power for the opticallink may be further based on an error rate of data packets associatedwith the first optical signal.

In some examples, when receiving the first optical signal, the methodincludes receiving a telemetry signal at the first communicationterminal from the second communication terminal through the optical linkand determining, by the control hardware, the receiving power for theoptical link based on the telemetry signal providing the receiving powerfor the optical link at the second communication terminal. The telemetrysignal may provide the receiving power for the optical link at thesecond communication terminal. When receiving the first optical signal,the method may further include receiving a laser diode signal at thefirst communication terminal from a laser diode of the secondcommunication terminal through the optical link and determining, by thecontrol hardware, a received power of the laser diode signal. The methodmay also include determining, by the control hardware, the receivingpower for the optical link based on the received power of the laserdiode signal. In some implementations, the second communication terminaltransmits the laser diode signal from the laser diode at a constantoutput power. In these implementations, when the received power of thelaser diode signal differs from the constant output power of the laserdiode, the method may include adjusting, by the control hardware, theoutput amplification at the first communication terminal by an amountbased on the difference between the received power of the laser diodesignal and the constant output power of the laser diode. The secondcommunication terminal may transmit the laser diode signal from thelaser diode at a wavelength outside a gain bandwidth associated with thefirst optic signal.

When transmitting the second optical signal from the first communicationterminal to the second communication terminal, the method may includetransmitting a telemetry signal from the first communication terminal tothe second communication terminal through the optical link. Thetelemetry signal may provide the receiving power for the optical link atthe first communication terminal based on at least one of a receivedoptical power of the first optical signal or an error rate of datapackets associated with the first optical signal. The telemetry signalmay include a dedicated channel different than a signal channelassociated with the second optical signal. The telemetry signal and thesecond optical signal may be co-propagated through an optical amplifierat the first communication terminal prior to transmitting the secondoptical signal and the telemetry signal to the second communicationterminal.

In some examples, adjusting the output amplification at the firstcommunication terminal includes, when the receiving power for theoptical link is less than a threshold receiving power, increasing theoutput amplification at the first communication terminal to increase thereceiving power for the optical link when the second communicationterminal receives the second optical signal. When the receiving powerfor the optical link is greater than the threshold receiving power, themethod may include decreasing the output amplification at the firstcommunication terminal to decrease the receiving power for the opticallink when the second communication terminal receives the second opticalsignal. Decreasing the output amplification may include decreasing theoutput amplification at a rate that avoids oscillations when the firstcommunication terminal transmits the second optical signal. The firstcommunication terminal or the second communication terminal may includea high-altitude platform. The first communication terminal and thesecond communication terminal may operate at a common altitude above theearth while maintaining a link of sight between each other.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a high altitude platformincluding receiver optics, transmitter optics and communicationhardware. The receiver optics are configured to receive a first opticalsignal from another high altitude platform through a free space opticallink. The transmitter optics are configured to transmit a second opticalsignal to the other high altitude platform through the optical link. Thecontrol hardware is in communication with the receiver optics and thetransmitter optics. The control hardware is configured to determine areceiving power for the optical link based on the first optical signaland adjust an output amplification at the transmitter optics based onthe receiving power for the optical link. The output amplification isadjusted to provide the second optical signal with a minimumtransmission power for maintaining the optical link.

This aspect may include one or more of the following optional features.In some examples, the control hardware determines the receiving powerfor the optical link based on at least one of an optical power of thefirst optical signal when the receiver optics receive the first opticalsignal or an error packet of data packets associated with the firstoptical signal when the receiver optics receive the first opticalsignal. The receiver optics, when receiving the first optical signal,may be configured to receive a telemetry signal from the other highaltitude platform through the optical link. The telemetry signal mayprovide the receiving power for the optical link at the other highaltitude platform. The control hardware may be configured to determinethe receiving power for the optical link based on the receiving powerfor the optical link at the other high altitude platform. The receiveroptics, when receiving the first optical signal, may be furtherconfigured to receive a laser diode signal from a laser diode of thehigh altitude platform through the optical link. The control hardwaremay be further configured to determine a received power of the laserdiode signal and determine the receiving power for the optical linkbased on the received power of the laser diode signal.

In some examples, the high altitude platform includes an opticalamplifier in communication with the control hardware and the transmitteroptics. The optical amplifier may be configured to adjust the outputamplification at the high altitude platform by an amount based on adifference between the received power of the laser diode signal and aconstant output power of the laser diode signal when the laser diode atthe other high altitude platform transmits the laser diode signal. Whentransmitting the second optical signal to the other high altitudeplatform, the transmitter optics may transmit a telemetry signal to theother high altitude platform through the optical link. The telemetrysignal may provide the receiving power for the optical link at the highaltitude platform based on at least one of a received optical power ofthe first optical signal or an error rate of data packets associatedwith the first optical signal. The high altitude platform may furtherinclude a telemetry transmitter in communication with the controlhardware and the transmitter optics. The telemetry transmitter mayprovide the telemetry signal with a dedicated channel different than asignal channel associated with the second optical signal.

In some implementations, the high altitude platform includes an opticalamplifier in communication with the control hardware and the transmitteroptics. The optical amplifier may be configured to co-propagate thetelemetry signal and the second optical signal prior to the transmitteroptics transmitting the telemetry signal and the second optical signalto the other high altitude platform. The high altitude platform mayfurther include an optical amplifier in communication with the controlhardware and the transmitter optics. The optical amplifier may beconfigured to, when the receiving power for the optical link is lessthan a threshold receiving power, increase the output amplification atthe transmitter optics to increase the receiving power for the opticallink when the other high altitude platform receives the second opticalsignal. The optical amplifier may be further configured to, when thereceiving power for the optical link is greater than the thresholdreceiving power, decrease the output amplification at the transmitteroptics to decrease the receiving power for the optical link when theother high altitude platform receives the second optical signal. Theoptical amplifier may also be configured to decrease the outputamplification at a rate that avoids oscillations when the transmitteroptics transmit the second optical signal.

Yet another aspect of the disclosure provides a communication systemincluding a first communication terminal. The first communicationterminal includes first receiver optics configured to receive a firstoptical signal through a free space optical link, first transmitteroptics configured to transmit a second optical signal through theoptical link, and first control hardware in communication with the firstreceiver optics and the first transmitter optics. The first controlhardware is configured to determine a receiving power for the opticallink based on the first optical signal and adjust an outputamplification at the first transmitter based on the receiving power forthe optical link. The output amplification is adjusted to provide thesecond optical signal with a minimum transmission power for maintainingthe optical link. The communication system also includes a secondcommunication terminal including second receiver optics configured toreceive the second optical signal from the first transmitter opticsthrough the optical link, second transmitter optics configured totransmit the first optical signal to the first receiver optics throughthe optical link, and second control hardware in communication with thefirst receiver optics and the first transmitter optics. The secondcontrol hardware is configured to determine a receiving power for theoptical link based on the second optical signal and adjust an outputamplification at the second transmitter optics based on the receivingpower for the optical link. The output amplification is adjusted toprovide a subsequent optical signal for transmission from the secondtransmitter optics with a minimum transmission power for maintaining theoptical link.

This aspect may include one or more of the following optional features.In some examples, at least one of the first or second control hardwaredetermines the receiving power for the optical link based on at leastone of: an optical power of the associated one of the first or secondoptical signals when the associated one of the first or second receiveroptics receives the associated one of the first or second opticalsignals, or an error packet rate of data associated with the associatedone of the first or second optical signals when the associated one ofthe first or second receiver optics receives the associated one of thefirst or second optical signals. One of the first or second receiveroptics of the associated one of the first or second communicationterminals, when receiving the associated one of the first or secondoptical signals, may be configured to receive a telemetry signal fromthe other one of the first or second communication terminals through theoptical link. The telemetry signal may provide the receiving power forthe optical link at the other one of the first or second communicationterminals. One of the first or second control hardware associated withthe one of the first or second receiver optics that receives thetelemetry signal may be configured to determine the receiving power forthe optical link based on the receiving power for the optical link atthe other one of the first or second communication terminals.

In some examples, one of the first or second receiver optics of theassociated one of the first or second communication terminals, whenreceiving the associated one of the first or second optical signals, isconfigured to receive a laser diode signal from a laser diode of theother one of the first or second communication terminals. One of thefirst or second control hardware associated with the one of the first orsecond receiver optics that receives the laser diode signal may beconfigured to determine a received power of the laser diode signal anddetermine the receiving power for the optical link based on the receivedpower of the laser diode signal. The first and second communicationterminals may include high altitude platforms operating at a commonaltitude above the earth while maintaining a line of sight between eachother.

The details of one or more implementations of the disclosure are setforth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Otheraspects, features, and advantages will be apparent from the descriptionand drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an example communication system.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views of example high-altitudeplatforms.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an example communication system providingoptical signals through a free space optical link between a firstcommunication terminal and a second communication terminal.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an example transmitter module including awavelength division multiplexer.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an example communication system providingoptical signals through a free space optical link between a firstcommunication terminal and a second communication terminal.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an example communication system providingoptical signals and laser diode signals through a free space opticallink between a first communication terminal and a second communicationterminal.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic views of example communication systemsproviding optical signals and telemetry signals through a free spaceoptical link between a first communication terminal and a secondcommunication terminal.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of example control hardware of acommunication terminal.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an example method for determining a receivingpower for a free space optical link at a communication terminal.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, in some implementations, a global-scalecommunication system 100 includes gateways 110 (e.g., source groundstations 110 a and destination ground stations 110 b), high altitudeplatforms (HAPs) 200, and satellites 301. The source ground stations 110a may communicate with the satellites 301, the satellites 301 maycommunicate with the HAPs 200, and the HAPs 200 may communicate with oneanother and with the destination ground stations 110 b. In someexamples, the source ground stations 110 a also operate aslinking-gateways between the satellites 301. The source ground stations110 a may be connected to one or more service providers and thedestination ground stations 110 b may be user terminals (e.g., mobiledevices, residential WiFi devices, home networks, etc.). In someimplementations, the HAPs 200 include aerial communication devices thatoperate at high altitudes (e.g., 17-22 km). Each HAP 200 may be releasedinto the earth's atmosphere, e.g., by an air craft, or flown to thedesired altitude. Moreover, the HAP 200 may operate as aquasi-stationary aircraft. In some examples, the HAP 200 is an aircraft200 a, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); while in otherexamples, the HAP 200 is a communication balloon 200 b. The HAP 200 mayreceive a communication 20 from one of the satellites 301 and reroutethe communication 20 to another HAP 200 or one of the destination groundstations 110 b. The satellite 301 may be in Low Earth Orbit (LEO),Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), or High Earth Orbit (HEO), includingGeosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO).

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, in some implementations, the HAP 200includes a transceiver 210 that receives the communication 20 from thesatellite 301 or another HAP 200 and transmits the communication 20 tothe destination ground station 110 b or another HAP 200. The HAP 200 mayinclude control hardware 800 that processes the received communication20 and determines a path of the communication 20 to arrive at thedestination ground station 110 b or the other HAP 200. In someimplementations, one or more of the HAPs 200 are capable ofcommunicating with one another by transmitting optical signals 320 (FIG.3) through a free space optical link 322 (FIG. 3).

FIG. 2B illustrates an example communication balloon 200 b that includesa balloon 204 (e.g., sized about 49 feet in width and 39 feet in heightand filled with helium or hydrogen), an equipment box 206, and solarpanels 208. The equipment box 206 includes control hardware 800 thatexecutes algorithms to determine a target location for the high-altitudeballoon 200 b, thereby allowing each high-altitude balloon 200 b to moveinto a layer of wind blowing in a direction to take the balloon 200 b tothe target location. The equipment box 206 also includes batteries tostore power and the transceiver 210 to communicate with other devices(e.g., other HAPs 200, satellites 301, gateways 110, such as userterminals 110 b, internet antennas on the ground, etc.). The solarpanels 208 may power the equipment box 206.

Communication balloons 200 b are typically released in to the earth'sstratosphere to attain an altitude between 11 to 23 miles and provideconnectivity for a ground area of 25 miles in diameter at speedscomparable to terrestrial wireless data services (such as, 3G or 4G).The communication balloons 200 b float in the stratosphere at analtitude twice as high as airplanes and the weather (e.g., 20 km abovethe earth's surface). The high-altitude balloons 200 b are carriedaround the earth by winds and can be steered by rising or descending toan altitude with winds moving in the desired direction. Winds in thestratosphere are usually steady and move slowly from about 5 mph toabout 20 mph, and each layer of wind varies in direction and magnitude.

Referring to FIG. 3, in some implementations, a communication system 300300 a provides optical signals 320, 320 a-b between a firstcommunication terminal 302 a (hereinafter ‘first terminal 302 a’) and asecond communication terminal 302 b (hereinafter ‘second terminal 302b’) through the free space optical link 322. The optical signals 320 mayinclude data 321, such as internet packets, being routed through theglobal-scale communication system 100. In some implementations, theterminals 302 include HAPs 200 operating at high altitudes (e.g., 17-22km) within the Earth's atmosphere, thereby requiring the optical signals320 to pass through air 325. Each terminal 302 a, 302 b may include atransmitter module 400, 400 a-b, an optical amplifier 304, 304 a-b,transmitter optics 306, 306 a-b, receiver optics 308, 308 a-b, thecontrol hardware 800, 800 a-b, and memory hardware 802, 802 a-b. Thememory hardware 802 stores information, such as instructions executableby the control hardware 800, non-transitorily at the control hardware800. The memory hardware 802 may be a computer-readable medium, avolatile memory unit(s), or non-volatile memory unit(s). The memoryhardware 802 may be physical devices used to store programs (e.g.,sequences of instructions) or data (e.g., program state information) ona temporary or permanent basis for use by the control hardware 800.Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, flashmemory and read-only memory (ROM)/programmable read-only memory(PROM)/erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM)/electronicallyerasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) (e.g., typically usedfor firmware, such as boot programs). Examples of volatile memoryinclude, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), dynamicrandom access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), phasechange memory (PCM) as well as disks or tapes. The control hardware 800can be, for example, a processor executing computer-readableinstructions stored in the memory hardware 802, a field programmablegate array (FGPA), a digital signal processor (DSP), or any othersuitable circuitry.

In some implementations, scintillation of the air 325 perturbs one ormore of the optical signals 320 communicated between the terminals 302via the optical link 322. For instance, air scintillation may cause areceived optical power 330 of the optical signal 320 at a receiving oneof the terminals 302 to decrease from a transmission power 310 of theoptical signal 320 at a transmitting one of the terminals 302. In someexamples, a drastic decrease in the received optical power 330 from thetransmission power 310 indicates a loss of the optical link 322. Opticallink loss may result in the receiving one of the terminals 302 failingto receive some or all of the data 321 within the optical link 322.Additionally or alternatively, loss of the optical link 322 may occurwhen the received optical power 330 is less than a desired receivedoptical power for maintaining the optical link 322.

Air scintillation may increase with longer separation distances betweenthe terminals 302 a, 302 b, higher density of the air 325, higher windspeeds, higher air pressure, and/or higher turbulence. Accordingly, theair scintillation dynamically effects the communication of the opticalsignals 320 between the terminals 302 via the optical link 322. Whilehigher transmission powers 310 may be selected to overcome the foregoingimplications caused when the air scintillation is high or severe,constantly using high transmission powers 310 may saturate a photoreceiver associated with the receiver optics 308 at the receiving one ofthe terminals 302 and/or unduly increase power consumption at theterminals 302 when the air scintillation becomes low or is no longersevere.

The transmitter optics 306 may transmit the optical signals 320 and thereceiver optics 308 may receive the optical signals 320 to establish theoptical link 322. For instance, the transmitter optics 306 b at thesecond terminal 302 b may transmit a first optical signal 320 a to thereceiver optics 308 a at the first terminal 302 a to establish theoptical link 322. Similarly, the transmitter optics 306 a at the firstterminal 302 a may transmit a second optical signal 320 b to thereceiver optics 308 b at the second terminal 302 b to establish theoptical link 322. The receiver optics 308 may include, but are notlimited to, an optical pre-amplifier, photodiodes, the photo receiver,transimpedance amplifiers, clock/phase recovery circuits, decisioncircuits, and/or forward error correction circuits to convert theoptical signals 320 into electrical binary bits to interpret the data321. The transmitter module 400 may provide the optical signal 320 tothe optical amplifier 304 to adjust a gain or output amplification 324of the optical signal 320 based upon a receiving power 326 for theoptical link 322. The control hardware 800 may be in communication withthe receiver optics 308 and the optical amplifier 304. In someimplementations, the control hardware 800 determines the receiving power326 for the optical link 322 based upon the optical signal 320 lastreceived by the associated receiver optics 308 and provides thereceiving power 326 to the optical amplifier 304. Accordingly, thecontrol hardware 800 may provide closed loop control for the opticalamplifier 304 to adjust the output amplification 324 at the associatedterminal 302 based upon the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322to provide a subsequently transmitted optical signal 320 with a minimumtransmission power 310 for maintaining the optical link 322.

In some implementations, the transmitter optics 306 b at the secondterminal 302 b transmit the first optical signal 320 a over the opticallink 322 to the receiver optics 308 a at the first terminal 302 a.Without knowledge of the scintillation of the air 325, the secondterminal 302 b assumes that the transmission power 310 for the firstoptical signal 320 a is sufficient for transmission through the opticallink 322 to the receiver optics 308 a at the first terminal 302 awithout incurring optical link loss. Upon receiving the first opticalsignal 320 a, the receiver optics 308 a at the first terminal 302 a mayprovide the optical signal 320 a, or information associated with opticalsignal 320 a, to the control hardware 800 a for determining thereceiving power 326 for the optical link 322. In some implementations,the optical amplifier 304 a adjusts the output amplification 324 at thefirst terminal 302 a based upon the receiving power 326 for the opticallink 322. For example, when the receiving power 326 is less than athreshold receiving power, the optical amplifier 304 a may increase theoutput amplification 324 at the first terminal 302 a to provide thesecond optical signal 320 b with the minimum transmission power 310 formaintaining the optical link 322. The increase in the outputamplification 324 at the first terminal 302 a causes the receiving power326 for the optical link 322 at the second terminal 302 b to increasewhen the second terminal 302 b receives the second optical signal 320 b.In some examples, the optical amplifier 304 a increases the outputamplification 324 at a fastest rate permissible by the optical amplifier304.

Conversely, when the receiving power 326 is greater than the thresholdreceiving power, the optical amplifier 304 a may decrease the outputamplification 324 at the first terminal 302 a to provide the secondoptical signal 320 b with the minimum transmission power 310 formaintaining the optical link 322. Thereafter, the transmitter optics 306a may receive the second optical signal 320 b from the optical amplifier304 a and transmit the second optical signal 320 b through the opticallink 322 to the receiver optics 308 b at the second terminal 302 b. Thedecrease in the output amplification 324 at the first terminal 302 acauses the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 at the secondterminal 302 b to decrease when the second terminal 302 b receives thesecond optical signal 320 b. In some examples, when decreasing theoutput amplification 324, the optical amplifier 304 a decreases theoutput amplification 324 at a rate that avoids oscillations when thefirst terminal 302 a transmits the second optical signal 320 b. Thecontrol hardware 800 b at the second terminal 302 b may similarlydetermine the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 when thesecond terminal 302 b receives the second optical signal 320 b and theoptical amplifier 304 b may adjust the output amplification 324 at thesecond terminal 302 b to provide a subsequently transmitted opticalsignal 320 with the minimum transmission power 310 for maintaining theoptical link 322.

Referring to FIG. 4, in some implementations, the transmitter module 400may include one or more transmitters 402, 402 a-n each transmittingportions of the data 321 a-n to a wavelength division multiplexer 404(hereinafter ‘WDM 404’). In some examples, the transmitters 402 includeoptical transmitters that transmit optical signals including associatedportions of the data 321 a-n. The WDM 404 may multiplex the dataportions 321 a-n to propagate the optical signal 320 with the data 321.In some examples, the WDM 404 provides the optical signal 320 with adedicated channel for transmission over the optical link 322.

Referring to FIG. 5, in some implementations, a communications system300, 300 b provides the optical signals 320 between the first terminal302 a and the second terminal 302 b through the free space optical link322. In some implementations, an optical receiver 312 and a powersensing module 316 are associated with each of the receiver optics 308a, 308 b and a data error module 314 and a power requirements module 318are associated with the control hardware 800 a, 800 b at each of theterminals 302.

The optical receiver 312 may convert the optical signals 320 intoelectrical binary bits to interpret the data 321 associated with theoptical signals 320. In some examples, the optical receiver 312determines a received number of packets 331 associated with the data 321when the optical receiver 312 receives the optical signal 320. In theseexamples, the optical receiver 312 provides the number of received datapackets 331 to the data error module 314 at the control hardware 800.The data error module 314 may determine an error packet rate when thereceived number of data packets 331 is less than a total number ofpackets associated with the data 321. In some examples, the controlhardware 800 determines the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322based upon the presence of the error packet rate of the data 321associated with the optical signal 320. Accordingly, the opticalamplifier 304 may increase the output amplification 324 based on theerror packet rate of the data 321 associated with the optical signal320.

The power sensing module 316 may determine the received optical power330 of the optical signal 320 when the receiving one of the terminals302 receives the optical signal 320. The power sensing module 316 mayprovide the received optical power 330 to the power requirements module318. In some implementations, the power requirements module 318determines the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 based uponthe received optical power 330 of the optical signal 320. Thereafter,the optical amplifier 304 may adjust the output amplification 324 toprovide a subsequent optical signal 320 with the minimum transmissionpower 310 for maintaining the optical link 322. For instance, theoptical amplifier 304 may increase the output amplification 324 when thereceiving power 326 for the optical link 322 is less than the thresholdreceiving power or the optical amplifier 304 may decrease the outputamplification 324 when the receiving power 326 exceeds the thresholdreceiving power.

In some implementations, the transmitter optics 306 b at the secondterminal 302 b transmits the first optical signal 320 a through theoptical link 322 to the receiver optics 308 a at the first terminal 302a. In some examples, the power sensing module 316 determines thereceived optical power 330 of the first optical signal 320 a andprovides the received optical power 330 to the power requirements module318 at the control hardware 800 a for determining the receiving power326 for the optical link 322. In scenarios when the received opticalpower 330 is less than a threshold received optical power, the powerrequirements module 318 determines the receiving power 326 is less thanthe threshold receiving power, and thus, insufficient for maintainingthe optical link 322. In these scenarios, the optical amplifier 304 amay increase the output amplification 324 at the first terminal 302 a toincrease the minimum transmission power 310 for maintaining the opticallink 322 when the transmitter optics 306 a transmit the second opticalsignal 320 b to the second terminal 302 b. Accordingly, increasing theoutput amplification 324 at the first terminal 302 a causes an increasein the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 at the secondterminal 302 b to compensate for the air scintillation.

Conversely, in scenarios when the received optical power 330 is greaterthan the threshold received optical power, the power requirements module318 may determine the receiving power 326 is greater than the thresholdreceiving power. In some examples, reductions in the air scintillationcause the received optical power 330 to exceed the threshold receivingpower. As a result, the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 maybecome excessive, and may therefore cause damage to the receiver optics308 and/or unduly increase power consumption at the terminals 302. Inthese scenarios, the optical amplifier 304 a may decrease the outputamplification 324 at the first terminal 302 a to reduce the receivingpower 326 for the optical link 322 at the second terminal 302 b toaccount for reductions in the air scintillation.

In some examples, the optical receiver 312 determines the receivednumber of packets 331 associated with the data 321 of the first opticalsignal 320 a and provides the received number of packets 331 to the dataerror module 314 at the control hardware 800 a for determining thereceiving power 326 for the optical link 322. In some implementations,when the data error module 314 determines the presence of the errorpacket rate of the data 321, the data error module 314 determines thereceiving power 326 is insufficient for maintaining the optical link322. In these implementations, the optical amplifier 304 a may increasethe output amplification 324 at the first terminal 302 a to increase theminimum transmission power 310 for maintaining the optical link 322 whenthe transmitter optics 306 a transmit the second optical signal 320 b tothe second terminal 302 b. That is, by increasing the outputamplification 324 at the first terminal 302 a, the receiving power 326for the optical link 322 increases at the second terminal 302 b tocompensate for the effects caused by the air scintillation. In someexamples, the optical amplifier 304 a increases the output amplification324 by a magnitude based on the error packet rate of the data 321. Whilethe presence of the error packet rate may be used for identifying whenthe receiving power 326 is insufficient for maintaining the optical link322, an absence of the error packet rate, however, will only indicatethat the receiving power 326 is sufficient for maintaining the opticallink 322. Thus, based upon the absence of the error packet rate alone,the control hardware 800 is unable to determine whether the receivingpower 326 is or has become excessive due to reductions in the airscintillation.

In some implementations, the control hardware 800 a, 800 b associatedwith the communications system 300 b of FIG. 5 assumes that the firstterminal 302 a and the second terminal 302 b are reciprocal with eachother. As used herein, the first terminal 302 a and the second terminal302 b are reciprocal with each other when the terminals 302 operate at acommon altitude above the earth while maintaining a line of sightbetween each other. Generally, the air density and the air pressureremains substantially constant across the optical link 322 when thefirst terminal 302 a and the second terminal 302 b are reciprocal witheach other and/or operate at high altitudes above the earth where theair 325 is thin. Accordingly, when the terminals 302 are reciprocal witheach other, the control hardware 800 may adjust the output amplification324 at the transmitting one of the terminals 302 based upon the opticalsignal 320 last received to regulate the receiving power 326 for theoptical link 322 at the receiving one of the terminals 302, and viceversa. Conversely, when the terminals 302 a, 302 b are not reciprocal,the air scintillation may affect the receiving power 326 for the opticallink 322 at each of the terminals 302 differently.

Referring to FIG. 6, in some implementations, a communications system300, 300 c provides the communications 20 between the first terminal 302a and the second terminal 302 b through the free space optical link 322.Each communication 20 may include a laser diode signal 620 and theoptical signal 320. In some implementations, the optical receiver 312,an optical filter 614, and a laser diode power sensing module 616 areassociated with each of the receiver optics 308 a, 308 b and a laserdiode power requirements module 618 is associated with the controlhardware 800 a, 800 b at each of the terminals 302 a, 302 b. The firstterminal 302 a and the second terminal 302 b of the communication system300 c may each also include a laser diode 606, 606 a-b. In someimplementations, the laser diode 606 transmits the laser diode signal620 to the transmitter optics 306 at the transmitting one of theterminals 302 for transmitting the communication 20 that collectivelyincludes the laser diode signal 620 and the optical signal 320 throughthe optical link 322 to the receiving one of the terminals 302. In someexamples, the transmitting one of the terminals 302 transmits the laserdiode signal 620 at a constant output power 610. Additionally, thetransmitting one of the terminals 302 may transmit the laser diodesignal 620 at a wavelength outside a gain bandwidth associated with theoptical signal 320.

The optical receiver 312 may convert the optical signals 320 intoelectrical binary bits to interpret the data 321 associated with theoptical signals 320. In some implementations, when the receiving one ofthe terminals 302 receives the communication 20 from the transmittingone of the terminals 302, the optical filter 614 filters the laser diodesignal 620 from the optical signal 320 and provides the laser diodesignal 620 to the laser diode power sensing module 616. In someexamples, the laser diode power sensing module 616 determines a receivedpower 630 of the laser diode signal 620 and provides the received power630 to the laser diode power requirements module 618. In someimplementations, the laser diode power requirements module 618correlates the received power 630 of the laser diode signal 620 to thereceiving power 326 for the optical link 322. Accordingly, the laserdiode power requirements module 618 may determine the receiving power326 for the optical link 322 and the optical amplifier 304 may adjustthe output amplification 324 to provide the minimum transmission power310 for maintaining the optical link 322, and thus, regulate thereceiving power 326 for the optical link 322 at the other terminal 302.The optical amplifier 304 may adjust the output amplification 324 by anamount corresponding to the difference between the received power 630 ofthe laser diode signal 620 and the constant output power 610 provided bythe laser diode 606 at the other terminal 302.

In some implementations, the transmitter optics 306 b at the secondterminal 302 b transmits a first communication 20 a including the firstoptical signal 320 a and the laser diode signal 620 through the opticallink 322 to the receiver optics 308 a at the first terminal 302 a. Insome examples, the optical filter 614 filters the laser diode signal 620from the first communication 20 a and the laser diode power sensingmodule 616 determines the received power 630 of the laser diode signal620. The laser diode power requirements module 618 at the controlhardware 800 a may determine the receiving power 326 for the opticallink 322 based upon the received power 630 of the laser diode signal620. For instance, the received power 630 falling from the constantoutput power 610 of the laser diode signal 620 may indicate a decreasein the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322. In some examples,when the constant output power 610 exceeds the received power 630 by alaser diode power threshold, the laser diode power requirements module618 determines the receiving power 326 is less than the thresholdreceiving power, and thus, insufficient for maintaining the optical link322. In these examples, the optical amplifier 304 a may increase theoutput amplification 324 at the first terminal 302 a to increase thereceiving power 326 for the optical link 322 at the second terminal 302b to compensate for the air scintillation when the second terminal 302 breceives the second optical signal 320 b. FIG. 6 shows the transmitteroptics 306 a at the first terminal 302 a transmitting a secondcommunication 20 b that includes the laser diode signal 620 and thesecond optical signal 320 b to the second terminal 302 b through theoptical link 322.

As with the communications system 300 b of FIG. 5, the communicationsystem 300 c assumes that the first terminal 302 a and the secondterminal 302 b are reciprocal with each other when determining thereceiving power 326 for the optical link 322 at the receiving one of theterminals 302 based upon the received power 630 of the laser diodesignal 620 from the transmitting one of the terminals 302. Accordingly,when the terminals 302 are reciprocal with each other, the controlhardware 800 may adjust the output amplification 324 at the transmittingone of the terminals 302 based upon the received power 630 for the laserdiode signal 620 last received to regulate the receiving power 326 forthe optical link 322 at the receiving one of the terminals 302, and viceversa. Conversely, when the terminals 302 a, 302 b are not reciprocal,the air scintillation may affect the received power 630 for the laserdiode signal 620 and the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 ateach of the terminals 302 differently.

Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, in some implementations, a communicationssystem 300, 300 d-e provides the communications 20 between the firstterminal 302 a and the second terminal 302 b through the free spaceoptical link 322. Each communication 20 may include a telemetry signal720, 720 a-b and the optical signal 320. In some implementations, thereceiver optics 308 at each of the terminals 302 includes the opticalreceiver 312, the power sensing module 316, and a telemetry receiver712. The control hardware 800 at each of the terminals 302 a, 302 b mayinclude the data error module 314, the power requirements module 318,and a telemetry analyzer 714.

In some configurations, the transmitter optics 306 couple the telemetrysignal 720 and the associated optical signal 320 together whentransmitting the communication 20. For example, FIG. 7A shows theterminals 302 a, 302 b each including an associated telemetrytransmitter 706, 706 a-b that transmits the telemetry signal 720 to thetransmitter optics 306. The transmitter optics 306 at the transmittingone of the terminals 302 may transmit the communication 20 that includesthe telemetry signal 720 and the optical signal 320 to the receiveroptics 308 at the receiving one of the terminals 302. The telemetrysignal 720 may include a dedicated channel different than a signalchannel associated with the optical signal 320 of the communication 20.

In other configurations, the telemetry signal 720 and the optical signal320 associated with the communication 20 are co-propagated through theoptical amplifier 304 at the transmitting one of the terminals 302. Forexample, FIG. 7B shows the control hardware 800 providing the telemetrysignal 720 to the transmitter module 400 and the transmitter module 400co-propagating the telemetry signal 720 and the optical signal 320 ofthe communication 20 through the optical amplifier 304. Thus, theoptical amplifier 304 may apply the output amplification 324 to thetelemetry signal 720 before the transmitter optics 306 transmit thetelemetry signal 720 and the optical signal 320 to the receiving one ofthe terminals 302.

The telemetry receiver 712 at the receiving one of the terminals 302 mayreceive the telemetry signal 720 included in the communication 20 fromthe transmitting one of the terminals 302 and provide the telemetrysignal 720 to the telemetry analyzer 714 of the control hardware 800. Insome implementations, the telemetry signal 720 provides the receivingpower 326 for the optical link 322 at the transmitting one of theterminals 302. The optical amplifier 304 may receive the receiving power326 from the telemetry analyzer 714 and adjust the output amplification324 to provide a subsequently transmitted optical signal 320 with theminimum transmission power 310 for maintaining the optical link 322.

In some implementations, the optical receiver 312 determines thereceived number of packets 331 associated with the data 321 when thereceiving one of the terminals 302 receives the communication 20including the optical signal 320 and the telemetry signal 720. The dataerror module 314 at the control hardware 800 may determine the presenceof the error packet rate when the received number of data packets 331 isless than the total number of packets associated with the data 321. Whenthe error packet rate is present, the control hardware 800 may determinethe receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 at the receiving one ofthe terminals 302 and convert the receiving power 326 into a subsequenttelemetry signal 720 for transmission to the other terminal 302.

Additionally or alternatively, the power sensing module 316 maydetermine the received optical power 330 of the optical signal 320 whenthe receiving one of the terminals 302 receives the communication 20including the optical signal 320 and the telemetry signal 720. The powerrequirements module 318 may receive the received optical power 330 fromthe power sensing module 316 and determine the receiving power 326 forthe optical link 322 at the receiving one of the terminals 302 based onthe received optical power 330. In some examples, the control hardware800 at the receiving one of the terminals 302 converts the receivingpower 326 into a subsequent telemetry signal 720 for transmission to theother terminal 302.

In some implementations, the transmitter optics 306 b at the secondterminal 302 b transmits the first communication 20 a including thefirst optical signal 320 a and a first telemetry signal 720 a throughthe optical link 322 to the receiver optics 308 a at the first terminal302 a. In some examples, the telemetry receiver 712 provides the firsttelemetry signal 720 a to the telemetry analyzer 714 at the controlhardware 800 a and the telemetry analyzer 714 determines the receivingpower 326 for the optical link 322 at the second terminal 302 b based onthe first telemetry signal 720 a. In other words, the control hardware800 a at the first terminal 302 a receives air scintillation feedbackcorresponding to the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 at thesecond terminal 302 b based on an optical signal 320 previouslytransmitted from the first terminal 302 a to the second terminal 302 b.In scenarios when the receiving power 326 at the second terminal 302 bis less than the threshold receiving power, the optical amplifier 304 amay increase the output amplification 324 at the first terminal 302 a toincrease the minimum transmission power 310 for maintaining the opticallink 322 when the transmitter optics 306 a transmit the second opticalsignal 320 b to the second terminal 302 b. Accordingly, increasing theoutput amplification 324 at the first terminal 302 a causes an increasein the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 at the secondterminal 302 b to compensate for fluctuations in the air scintillation.

Conversely, in scenarios when the receiving power 326 at the secondterminal 302 b exceeds the threshold receiving power, and is thereforeexcessive, the optical amplifier 304 a may decrease the outputamplification 324 at the first terminal 302 a to decrease the minimumtransmission power 310 for maintaining the optical link 322 when thetransmitter optics 306 a transmit the second optical signal 320 b to thesecond terminal 302 b. Accordingly, decreasing the output amplification324 at the first terminal 302 a causes a decrease in the receiving power326 for the optical link 322 at the second terminal 302 b to account forreductions in the air scintillation.

In some implementations, the control hardware 800 a at the firstterminal 302 a concurrently determines the receiving power 326 for theoptical link 322 at the first terminal 302 a based on the first opticalsignal 320 a received from the second terminal 302 b. In some examples,the power requirements module 318 receives the received optical power330 of the first optical signal 320 a from the power sensing module 316and determines the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 at thefirst terminal 302 a. The control hardware 800 a may convert thereceiving power 326 for the optical link 322 at the first terminal 302 ainto a second telemetry signal 720 b and the transmitter optics 306 amay transmit a second communication 20 b including the second opticalsignal 320 b and the second telemetry signal 720 b to the secondterminal 302 b. Accordingly, the second telemetry signal 720 b providesthe control hardware 800 b at the second terminal 302 b with airscintillation feedback corresponding to the receiving power 326 for theoptical link 322 at the first terminal 302 a based on the first opticalsignal 320 a previously transmitted by the second terminal 302 b.

The telemetry signals 720 provide each terminal 302 with airscintillation feedback based upon the optical signal 320 previouslytransmitted by the terminal 302 without having to rely upon thereceiving power 326 for the optical link 322 associated with opticalsignals 320 received from the other terminal 302. Therefore, thecommunication systems 300 d, 300 e using the telemetry signals 720 toprovide air scintillation feedback do not require that the terminals 302be reciprocal with each other when determining the receiving power 326for the optical link 322 and adjusting the output amplification 324based thereon.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an example of the control hardware 800that may be used to implement the systems and methods described in thisdocument. The control hardware 800 is intended to represent variousforms of digital computers, such as laptops, desktops, workstations,personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframes, andother appropriate computers. The components shown here, theirconnections and relationships, and their functions, are meant to beexemplary only, and are not meant to limit implementations of theinventions described and/or claimed in this document.

The control hardware 800 includes a processor 810, memory 820, a storagedevice 830, a high-speed interface/controller 840 connecting to thememory 820 and high-speed expansion ports 850, and a low speedinterface/controller 860 connecting to a low speed bus 870 and storagedevice 830. Each of the components 810, 820, 830, 840, 850, and 860, areinterconnected using various busses, and may be mounted on a commonmotherboard or in other manners as appropriate. The processor 810 canprocess instructions for execution within the computing device 800,including instructions stored in the memory 820 or on the storage device830 to display graphical information for a GUI on an externalinput/output device, such as a display 880 coupled to a high speedinterface 840. In other implementations, multiple processors and/ormultiple buses may be used, as appropriate, along with multiple memoriesand types of memory. Also, multiple control hardware devices 800 may beconnected, with each device providing portions of the necessaryoperations (e.g., as a server bank, a group of blade servers, or amulti-processor system).

The memory 820 includes hardware that stores informationnon-transitorily within the control hardware 800. The memory 820 may bea computer-readable medium, a volatile memory unit(s), or non-volatilememory unit(s). The non-transitory memory 820 may be physical devicesused to store programs (e.g., sequences of instructions) or data (e.g.,program state information) on a temporary or permanent basis for use bythe control hardware 800. Examples of non-volatile memory include, butare not limited to, flash memory and read-only memory (ROM)/programmableread-only memory (PROM)/erasable programmable read-only memory(EPROM)/electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)(e.g., typically used for firmware, such as boot programs) as well asdisks or tapes. Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limitedto, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM),static random access memory (SRAM), phase change memory (PCM).

The storage device 830 is capable of providing mass storage for thecontrol hardware 800. In some implementations, the storage device 830 isa computer-readable medium. In various different implementations, thestorage device 830 may be a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, anoptical disk device, or a tape device, a flash memory or other similarsolid state memory device, or an array of devices, including devices ina storage area network or other configurations. In additionalimplementations, a computer program product is tangibly embodied in aninformation carrier. The computer program product contains instructionsthat, when executed, perform one or more methods, such as thosedescribed above. The information carrier is a computer- ormachine-readable medium, such as the memory 820, the storage device 830,or memory on processor 810.

The high speed controller 840 manages bandwidth-intensive operations forthe computing device 800, while the low speed controller 860 manageslower bandwidth-intensive operations. Such allocation of duties isexemplary only. In some implementations, the high-speed controller 840is coupled to the memory 820, the display 880 (e.g., through a graphicsprocessor or accelerator), and to the high-speed expansion ports 850,which may accept various expansion cards (not shown). In someimplementations, the low-speed controller 860 is coupled to the storagedevice 830 and low-speed expansion port 870. The low-speed expansionport 870, which may include various communication ports (e.g., USB,Bluetooth, Ethernet, wireless Ethernet), may be coupled to one or moreinput/output devices, such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a scanner,or a networking device, such as a switch or router, e.g., through anetwork adapter.

The control hardware 800 may be implemented in a number of differentforms, as shown in the figure. For example, it may be implemented as astandard server or multiple times in a group of such servers, as alaptop computer, or as part of a rack server system. In otherimplementations, the control hardware includes a field programmable gatearray (FGPA), a digital signal processor (DSP), or any other suitablecircuitry.

In some implementations, the control hardware 800 is in communicationwith memory hardware 802 (e.g., in the memory 820). The control hardware800 at the first communication terminal 302 a may determine thereceiving power 326 for the optical link 322 based on the first opticalsignal 320 a received from the second communication terminal 302 bthrough the optical link 322. In some examples, the control hardware 800adjusts the output amplification 324 at the first communication terminal302 a based on the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322. Forinstance, the output amplification 324 may be adjusted to provide thesecond optical signal 320 b with a minimum transmission power 310 formaintaining the optical link 322. Thereafter, the first terminal 302 amay transmit the second optical signal 320 b to the second communicationterminal 302 b through the optical link 322.

A software application (i.e., a software resource 110 s) may refer tocomputer software that causes a computing device to perform a task. Insome examples, a software application may be referred to as an“application,” an “app,” or a “program.” Example applications include,but are not limited to, mobile applications, system diagnosticapplications, system management applications, system maintenanceapplications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications,messaging applications, media streaming applications, social networkingapplications, and gaming applications.

The memory hardware 110 hm may be physical devices used to storeprograms (e.g., sequences of instructions) or data (e.g., program stateinformation) on a temporary or permanent basis for use by a computingdevice 110 hc. The non-transitory memory 110 hm may be volatile and/ornon-volatile addressable semiconductor memory. Examples of non-volatilememory include, but are not limited to, flash memory and read-onlymemory (ROM)/programmable read-only memory (PROM)/erasable programmableread-only memory (EPROM)/electronically erasable programmable read-onlymemory (EEPROM) (e.g., typically used for firmware, such as bootprograms). Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to,random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), staticrandom access memory (SRAM), phase change memory (PCM) as well as disksor tapes.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of an example method 900 for adjusting an outputamplification 324 at the first communication terminal 302 a based uponthe receiving power 326 for the free space optical link 322. Theflowchart starts at operation 902 where the first communication terminal302 a receives the first optical signal 320 a from the secondcommunication terminal 302 b through the optical link 322. At operation904, the control hardware 800 a at the first terminal 302 a determinesthe receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 based on the firstoptical signal 320 a. In some examples, the control hardware 800 a ofthe communication system 300 b of FIG. 5 determines the receiving power326 for the optical link 322 based on an optical power 330 of the firstoptical signal 320 a when the first communication terminal 302 areceives the first optical signal 320 a. Additionally or alternatively,the control hardware 800 a of the communication system 300 b of FIG. 5may determine the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 based onan error rate of data packets 321 associated with the first opticalsignal 320 a. In other examples, the control hardware 800 a of thecommunication system 300 c of FIG. 6 determines the receiving power 326for the optical link 322 based on a received power 630 of a laser diodesignal 620 received from the second communication terminal 302 b. Insome implementations, the control hardware 800 a of the communicationsystems 300 d-e of FIGS. 7A and 7B, respectively, determine thereceiving power 326 for the optical link 322 based on a first telemetrysignal 720 a received from the second communication terminal 302 b thatprovides the receiving power 326 for the optical link 322 at the secondcommunication terminal 302 b. In these implementations, the controlhardware 800 a may concurrently determine the receiving power for theoptical link 322 at the first communication terminal 302 a based on atleast one of the received optical power 330 of the first optical signal320 a or the error rate of data packets 321 associated with the firstoptical signal 320 a.

At operation 906, the control hardware 800 a adjusts the outputamplification 324 at the first communication terminal 302 a based on thereceiving power 326 for the optical link 322. Here, the outputamplification 324 may be adjusted by the optical amplifier 304 a toprovide the second optical signal 320 b with a minimum transmissionpower for maintaining the optical link 322 and compensating forfluctuations in air scintillation. At operation 908, the firstcommunication terminal 302 a transmits the second optical signal 320 bto the second communication terminal 302 b through the optical link 322.Accordingly, the adjusted output amplification 324 at the first terminal302 a is operative to regulate the receiving power 326 for the opticallink 322 when the second communication terminal 302 b receives thesecond optical signal 320 b.

Various implementations of the systems and techniques described here canbe realized in digital electronic and/or optical circuitry, integratedcircuitry, specially designed ASICs (application specific integratedcircuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinationsthereof. These various implementations can include implementation in oneor more computer programs that are executable and/or interpretable on aprogrammable system including at least one programmable processor, whichmay be special or general purpose, coupled to receive data andinstructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storagesystem, at least one input device, and at least one output device.

These computer programs (also known as programs, software, softwareapplications or code) include machine instructions for a programmableprocessor, and can be implemented in a high-level procedural and/orobject-oriented programming language, and/or in assembly/machinelanguage. As used herein, the terms “machine-readable medium” and“computer-readable medium” refer to any computer program product,non-transitory computer readable medium, apparatus and/or device (e.g.,magnetic discs, optical disks, memory, Programmable Logic Devices(PLDs)) used to provide machine instructions and/or data to aprogrammable processor, including a machine-readable medium thatreceives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term“machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machineinstructions and/or data to a programmable processor.

Implementations of the subject matter and the functional operationsdescribed in this specification can be implemented in digital electroniccircuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including thestructures disclosed in this specification and their structuralequivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. Moreover,subject matter described in this specification can be implemented as oneor more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computerprogram instructions encoded on a computer readable medium for executionby, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus. Thecomputer readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, amachine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition ofmatter effecting a machine-readable propagated signal, or a combinationof one or more of them. The terms “data processing apparatus”,“computing device” and “computing processor” encompass all apparatus,devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example aprogrammable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers.The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates anexecution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., codethat constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a databasemanagement system, an operating system, or a combination of one or moreof them. A propagated signal is an artificially generated signal, e.g.,a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, thatis generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiverapparatus.

A computer program (also known as an application, program, software,software application, script, or code) can be written in any form ofprogramming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, andit can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or asa module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in acomputing environment. A computer program does not necessarilycorrespond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in aportion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or morescripts stored in a markup language document), in a single filededicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files(e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portionsof code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on onecomputer or on multiple computers that are located at one site ordistributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communicationnetwork.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform functions by operating on input data andgenerating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performedby, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, byway of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, andany one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, aprocessor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory ora random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer area processor for performing instructions and one or more memory devicesfor storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will alsoinclude, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer datato, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g.,magnetic, magneto optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computerneed not have such devices. Moreover, a computer can be embedded inanother device, e.g., a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant(PDA), a mobile audio player, a Global Positioning System (GPS)receiver, to name just a few. Computer readable media suitable forstoring computer program instructions and data include all forms ofnon-volatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way ofexample semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flashmemory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removabledisks; magneto optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. Theprocessor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in,special purpose logic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, one or more aspects of thedisclosure can be implemented on a computer having a display device,e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube), LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, ortouch screen for displaying information to the user and optionally akeyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by whichthe user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices canbe used to provide interaction with a user as well; for example,feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g.,visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input fromthe user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, ortactile input. In addition, a computer can interact with a user bysending documents to and receiving documents from a device that is usedby the user; for example, by sending web pages to a web browser on auser's client device in response to requests received from the webbrowser.

One or more aspects of the disclosure can be implemented in a computingsystem that includes a backend component, e.g., as a data server, orthat includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, orthat includes a frontend component, e.g., a client computer having agraphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user caninteract with an implementation of the subject matter described in thisspecification, or any combination of one or more such backend,middleware, or frontend components. The components of the system can beinterconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication,e.g., a communication network. Examples of communication networksinclude a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network (“WAN”), aninter-network (e.g., the Internet), and peer-to-peer networks (e.g., adhoc peer-to-peer networks).

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other. In someimplementations, a server transmits data (e.g., an HTML page) to aclient device (e.g., for purposes of displaying data to and receivinguser input from a user interacting with the client device). Datagenerated at the client device (e.g., a result of the user interaction)can be received from the client device at the server.

While this specification contains many specifics, these should not beconstrued as limitations on the scope of the disclosure or of what maybe claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific toparticular implementations of the disclosure. Certain features that aredescribed in this specification in the context of separateimplementations can also be implemented in combination in a singleimplementation. Conversely, various features that are described in thecontext of a single implementation can also be implemented in multipleimplementations separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover,although features may be described above as acting in certaincombinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more featuresfrom a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from thecombination, and the claimed combination may be directed to asub-combination or variation of a sub-combination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. In certain circumstances, multi-tasking and parallel processingmay be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various systemcomponents in the embodiments described above should not be understoodas requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should beunderstood that the described program components and systems cangenerally be integrated together in a single software product orpackaged into multiple software products.

A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it willbe understood that various modifications may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, otherimplementations are within the scope of the following claims. Forexample, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in adifferent order and still achieve desirable results.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, at a first communication terminal, a first optical signal from a second communication terminal through a free space optical link, the first optical signal comprising a laser diode signal from a laser diode of the second communication terminal through the free space optical link; filtering, at the first communication terminal, the laser diode signal from the first optical signal; determining, by control hardware of the first communication terminal, a received power of the laser diode signal that is filtered from the first optical signal; determining, by the control hardware, a receiving power for the free space optical link based on the received power of the laser diode signal; adjusting, by the control hardware, an output amplification at the first communication terminal based on the receiving power for the free space optical link, the output amplification adjusted to provide a second optical signal with a minimum transmission power for maintaining the free space optical link; and transmitting the second optical signal from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal through the free space optical link.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the receiving power for the free space optical link is also based on an error rate of data packets associated with the first optical signal.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: when receiving the first optical signal: receiving a telemetry signal at the first communication terminal from the second communication terminal through the free space optical link, the telemetry signal providing the receiving power for the free space optical link at the second communication terminal; and wherein determining the receiving power for the free space optical link is also based on the telemetry signal providing the receiving power for the free space optical link at the second communication terminal.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication terminal transmits the laser diode signal from the laser diode at a constant output power.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein, when the received power of the laser diode signal differs from the constant output power of the laser diode, adjusting, by the control hardware, the output amplification at the first communication terminal includes adjusting the output amplification by an amount based on the difference between the received power of the laser diode signal and the constant output power of the laser diode.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication terminal transmits the laser diode signal from the laser diode at a wavelength outside a gain bandwidth associated with the first optical signal.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when transmitting the second optical signal from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal, transmitting a telemetry signal from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal through the free space optical link, the telemetry signal providing the receiving power for the free space optical link at the first communication terminal based on at least one of: a received optical power of the first optical signal; or an error rate of data packets associated with the first optical signal.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the telemetry signal comprises a dedicated channel different than a signal channel associated with the second optical signal.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the telemetry signal and the second optical signal are co-propagated through an optical amplifier at the first communication terminal prior to transmitting the second optical signal and the telemetry signal to the second communication terminal.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the output amplification at the first communication terminal comprises: when the receiving power for the free space optical link is less than a threshold receiving power: increasing the output amplification at the first communication terminal to increase the receiving power for the free space optical link when the second communication terminal receives the second optical signal; or when the receiving power for the free space optical link is greater than the threshold receiving power: decreasing the output amplification at the first communication terminal to decrease the receiving power for the free space optical link when the second communication terminal receives the second optical signal.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein decreasing the output amplification comprises decreasing the output amplification at a rate that avoids oscillations when the first communication terminal transmits the second optical signal.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication terminal or the second communication terminal comprises a high-altitude platform.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal operate at a common altitude above the earth while maintaining a line of sight between each other.
 14. A high altitude platform comprising: receiver optics configured to receive a first optical signal from another high altitude platform through a free space optical link, the first optical signal comprising a laser diode signal from a laser diode of the other high altitude platform through the free space optical link; optical filter configured to filter the laser diode signal from the first optical signal; transmitter optics configured to transmit a second optical signal to the other high altitude platform through the free space optical link; and control hardware in communication with the receiver optics and the transmitter optics, the control hardware configured to: determine a received power of the laser diode signal that is filtered from the first optical signal; determine a receiving power for the free space optical link based on the received power of the laser diode signal; and adjust an output amplification at the transmitter optics based on the receiving power for the free space optical link, the output amplification adjusted to provide the second optical signal with a minimum transmission power for maintaining the free space optical link.
 15. The high altitude platform of claim 14, wherein the control hardware determines the receiving power for the free space optical link further based on an error packet rate of data packets associated with the first optical signal when the receiver optics receive the first optical signal.
 16. The high altitude platform of claim 14, wherein: the receiver optics, when receiving the first optical signal, are configured to receive a telemetry signal from the other high altitude platform through the free space optical link, the telemetry signal providing the receiving power for the free space optical link at the other high altitude platform; and the control hardware is configured to determine the receiving power for the free space optical link based on the receiving power for the free space optical link at the other high altitude platform.
 17. The high altitude platform of claim 14, further comprising an optical amplifier in communication with the control hardware and the transmitter optics, the optical amplifier configured to adjust the output amplification at the high altitude platform by an amount based on a difference between the received power of the laser diode signal and a constant output power of the laser diode signal when the laser diode at the other high altitude platform transmits the laser diode signal.
 18. The high altitude platform of claim 14, wherein the transmitter optics, when transmitting the second optical signal to the other high altitude platform, transmit a telemetry signal to the other high altitude platform through the free space optical link, the telemetry signal providing the receiving power for the free space optical link at the high altitude platform based on at least one of: a received optical power of the first optical signal; or an error rate of data packets associated with the first optical signal.
 19. The high altitude platform of claim 18, further comprising a telemetry transmitter in communication with the control hardware and the transmitter optics, the telemetry transmitter providing the telemetry signal with a dedicated channel different than a signal channel associated with the second optical signal.
 20. The high altitude platform of claim 18, further comprising an optical amplifier in communication with the control hardware and the transmitter optics, the optical amplifier configured to co-propagate the telemetry signal and the second optical signal prior to the transmitter optics transmitting the telemetry signal and the second optical signal to the other high altitude platform.
 21. The high altitude platform of claim 14, further comprising an optical amplifier in communication with the control hardware and the transmitter optics, the optical amplifier configured to: when the receiving power for the free space optical link is less than a threshold receiving power: increase the output amplification at the transmitter optics to increase the receiving power for the free space optical link when the other high altitude platform receives the second optical signal; or when the receiving power for the free space optical link is greater than the threshold receiving power: decrease the output amplification at the transmitter optics to decrease the receiving power for the free space optical link when the other high altitude platform receives the second optical signal.
 22. The high altitude platform of claim 21, wherein the optical amplifier is configured to decrease the output amplification at a rate that avoids oscillations when the transmitter optics transmit the second optical signal.
 23. A communication system comprising: a first communication terminal comprising: first receiver optics configured to receive a first optical signal comprising a first laser diode signal through a free space optical link; optical filter configured to filter the first laser diode signal from the first optical signal; first transmitter optics configured to transmit a second optical signal comprising a second laser diode signal through the free space optical link; and first control hardware in communication with the first receiver optics and the first transmitter optics, the control hardware configured to: determine a received power of the first laser diode signal that is filtered from the first optical signal; determine a receiving power for the free space optical link based on the received power of the first laser diode signal; and adjust an output amplification at the first transmitter optics based on the receiving power for the free space optical link, the output amplification adjusted to provide the second optical signal with a minimum transmission power for maintaining the free space optical link; and a second communication terminal comprising: second receiver optics configured to receive the second optical signal from the first transmitter optics through the free space optical link; second transmitter optics configured to transmit the first optical signal to the first receiver optics through the free space optical link; and second control hardware in communication with the first receiver optics and the first transmitter optics, the control hardware configured to: determine a received power of the second laser diode signal; determine a receiving power for the free space optical link based on the received power of the second laser diode signal; and adjust an output amplification at the second transmitter optics based on the receiving power for the free space optical link, the output amplification adjusted to provide a subsequent optical signal for transmission from the second transmitter optics with a minimum transmission power for maintaining the free space optical link.
 24. The communication system of claim 23, wherein at least one of the first or second control hardware determines the receiving power for the free space optical link further based on at least one of: an optical power of the associated one of the first or second optical signals when the associated one of the first or second receiver optics receives the associated one of the first or second optical signals; or an error packet rate of data associated with the associated one of the first or second optical signals when the associated one of the first or second receiver optics receives the associated one of the first or second optical signals.
 25. The communication system of claim 23, wherein: one of the first or second receiver optics of the associated one of the first or second communication terminals, when receiving the associated one of the first or second optical signals, are configured to receive a telemetry signal from the other one of the first or second communication terminals through the free space optical link, the telemetry signal providing the receiving power for the free space optical link at the other one of the first or second communication terminals; and one of the first or second control hardware associated with the one of the first or second receiver optics that receives the telemetry signal is configured to determine the receiving power for the free space optical link based on the receiving power for the free space optical link at the other one of the first or second communication terminals.
 26. The communication system of claim 23, wherein the first and second communication terminals comprise high altitude platforms operating at a common altitude above the earth while maintaining a line of sight between each other. 